All Over Stupid Boots
by Mew Universe
Summary: PBG gets very, very angry at Caddy after finding out the British teen let Hana and Mai take the blame for the boot theft... but is he more mad at Caddy, or at himself? (Some spoilers for Satch's route within)
1. Chapter 1

_After Caddy reveals he stole the Golden Boots, Mai drags him off by the ear to where the Normal Boots club is playing Stupendous Stomping Sisters. Then, when Mai makes Caddy confess to all the guys, PBG gets very, very angry…_

* * *

"Owowowow, let go of my valuable ear!" Caddy protested, stumbling over his shoelaces.

"Absolutely not!" Mai yanked hard on Caddy's ear as she pulled him out of Poppy Hall into the brisk nighttime air. "You're going straight to Normal Boots and apologizing right now! And then some!"

"Ow! I can walk, you know!"

"I won't let you get away so easily!"

Caddy harrumphed. "Can you at least drag me by my arm or something?" He rubbed behind his sore ear. "Crazy lass…"

Mai groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine." She grabbed his shoulder and stomped off towards Bluebell Hall, shoving him in front of her. "Better see which dorm they're in first…" Holding Caddy fast by his jacket collar, Mai pulled out her phone and dialed Jared's number.

" _Why hello, how may I help you?"_ Jared's suave voice echoed through the phone. Shouts, curses, and video game music played faintly in the background.

"Jared, this is Mai. Satch found the real thief."

" _He did? Wait, how'd you get my number?!"_

"Not now!" Mai's cheeks flushed, a sight faintly visible in the darkness. "Where are you guys? I have him with me."

" _Let me hear whoever this culprit is, first,"_ Jared growled.

Mai sighed, putting her phone on speaker mode. "Go on, say something!" She yanked Caddy by the collar.

"Oh, uh…" He wavered under Mai's stare, then cleared his throat. "Greetings and salutations, my, uh, beautiful person!" Caddy chuckled with a quivering, forced smile.

The music in the background played softly, as if almost muted. _"Where's Satch?"_ Jared asked.

"Putting the boots back in the closet," Mai replied, giving Caddy a glare.

Jared hummed. _"We're up in Jon and PBG's room."_ The line clicked; Jared had hung up.

Mai pocketed the phone again. "C'mon, you lout," she grumbled, pushing Caddy inside the dormitory.

"Hey, I can walk!" Caddy protested, shaking her hands off his shoulders. "And you're not even using that word right!" A pointed glare from Mai made him clamp his mouth shut.

They marched to the third floor. Mai never took her glare off of Caddy as he walked in front of her like a prisoner before a guard. Finally, when they reached the room blasting battle music, Mai slammed her fist on the door.

"Whoa, okay, no need to be so violent!" Jon exclaimed as the doorknob turned. When the door opened, Jon stood there with a puzzled expression.

"Oh, hello, pleasure to see you!" Caddy said, shoulders scrunched.

Jon stared at Caddy, then lifted an eyebrow at Mai. "What's all this?" He waved his arm up and down at the entirety of Caddy.

"Caddicarus here has a confession to make—to the whole club." Mai gripped the collar of Caddy's jacket as the boy trembled.

Jon shrugged. "Okay." He stepped aside and let Mai nudge Caddy into the room. The rest of the club members were huddled on and around the couch, some holding OuiU controllers in front of the paused game of Stupendous Stomping Sisters. Everyone stared at Mai and Caddy, most of them confused while Shane and Jared glared. Jon shut the door with a click.

"Well? Tell them what you told Satch," Mai commanded the wobbly-kneed Caddy.

"Oh, uh…" Caddy wrung his hands, eyes darting between all the Normal Boots members. "I… I took the boots." The boys gasped and murmured; Caddy fell to his knees. "I'm so very sorry, please forgive me! Step on my head, anything!"

PBG dropped his controller, his fingers twitching.

"Why?" Shane glowered at Caddy.

"I-It was just a prank! A stupid prank! But then the boots broke and I sent them to get fixed and—"

PBG hopped over the controllers and towered over the crouching Caddy. "You…" he seethed, hoisting Caddy into the air by his shirt collar. "You let us believe Hana and Mai stole them?! And they were innocent?!"

"PBG!" Jared yelled as the lanky boy shook Caddy.

"Whoa, Peebs, let him go!" Jon exclaimed.

PBG threw Caddy against the couch before anyone could stop him. "Where's Hana?" PBG whirled on Mai.

"H-Helping Satch put away the boots," Mai stammered.

Eye aflame and fists clenched, PBG ran past Mai, slamming the door shut behind him. Everyone in the room froze and stared at the door. Mai covered her hands with her mouth, eyes wide.

"Wow, PBG was the last person I expected to pull off something like that," Paul said, mouth agape.

Jirard knelt by Caddy as the British boy rubbed his head. "Hey, are you alright? Does it hurt badly?" Jirard asked, placing a hand on Caddy's shoulder.

"Oi, it stings," Caddy moaned. "Not dizzy yet, though."

"That's good," Jirard remarked as Josh crouched at Caddy's other side. "Think you can stand? We'll get you to the infirmary."

"Yeah, that'd be good, thanks…" Caddy leaned against Josh and Jirard as they guided him to his feet. "I… really am sorry." Caddy stared at the carpet. "For all this debacle and letting the ladies take the fall."

"Well…" Nick started, rubbing his neck. "At least we have the boots back now…"

"Hold on." Mai gripped the doorknob. Jirard, Caddy, and Josh paused. "Caddy…" She stared at him, her burning rage settled to a stiff stance of simmering anger. "I'm still mad at you since you made me and Hana suffer for weeks by not 'fessing up. But…" She opened the door. "We'll settle that score tomorrow morning, before class."

Caddy nodded. "Yeah, yeah, alrighty." He winced. "Oi, head throbbing…"

"Don't shake your head too much," Jirard said to Caddy as he hung one of Caddy's arms around his shoulder. "Josh, you got his other arm?"

"Yup. Let's hurry," Josh remarked. Jirard and Josh guided Caddy out of the dorm one methodical footstep at a time. Mai shot Jared a worried look; Jared bit his lip and looked away as Mai followed the three other boys out of the room.

Once the door clicked shut again, Jared remarked with a flippant hand gesture, "With Mai and PBG's hand in all this, I suppose there's nothing more we need to do… right?"

"Agreed," Shane murmured, arms crossed.

"We can get the whole story from Hidden Block tomorrow," Nick added.

Jon sighed. "I'm callin' this a night. Out of my room, out!" He pumped his arms upward as if conducting a choir to rise. The other Normal Boots members turned off the OuiU and shuffled out of the room, and Jon mumbled, "Let's just hope PBG doesn't get himself into a bigger mess."

* * *

PBG sprinted into the darkened Poppy Hall, leaving the door to swing shut as he jogged up the stairs. The Normal Boots club room… he hoped Hana was still there. He had to apologize for not trusting her—for not supporting her when she needed him. Dangit, why did he listen to Shane?! He knew Hana was innocent all this time! She was his friend! His childhood friend… gosh, what an awful friend he had been all these weeks.

His stride slowed as he reached the top floor. Laughter echoed in the unlit hallway. Back hunched over, PBG tiptoed to the club room. The laughter subsided, replaced by an animated chatter from a modulated bass voice. A soft, high-pitched voice extrapolated on something, her words running together in excitement. Both voices were… coming from the clubroom?

He crouched by the club room door. His eyes peered over the bottom edge of the door's window. Hana and Satch sat on the ground talking, their forms illuminated by the silver-white moonlight. Satch's arm was slung over Hana's shoulders. Hana grabbed Satch's hand as she spoke to him.

PBG collapsed to the ground. Hana's smile shone… for Satch. For the one guy who didn't abandon Hana in her time of need. PBG's fingers clenched and unclenched as his throat tightened. He crept away from the clubroom, dragging his arm across his tear-filled eyes. Once he reached the stairs again he dashed down them, not caring how his footsteps echoed in the empty staircase.

Eventually, Jon went to look for PBG and found the lanky boy in the soccer field. PBG kicked another soccer ball towards the goal, then another, then another. Only half of the balls reached their intended target. He opened the second bag of soccer balls he'd retrieved and started to kick them towards the goal net, one after the other.

"Hey, you gonna be okay?" Jon asked, striding up to PBG as a soccer ball smashed into the net.

"Just leave me alone," PBG grumbled. He kicked two balls at a time. One of them spun towards the bleachers and rolled next to Jon; he poked the ball with his foot.

With a dramatic sigh, Jon shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "Okay, then… just… don't stay out much longer." He turned, then glanced over his shoulder. "Wouldn't want Miss Shizuka or Mr. Saitomo to find you out past curfew."

"Whatever." PBG dribbled a ball between his feet, arms stiff at his sides.

As Jon trudged away through the grass, PBG continued kicking the soccer balls. "Stupid… stupid… stupid Peanut…" he muttered with every ball he kicked. No matter whether the balls made the goal or not—he just needed to kick something before he punched someone. Shane, or Caddy, or himself… which one he was mad at most no longer mattered.

He should have sided with Hana over the club—he should have trusted Hana's word.

Growling, PBG picked up a ball and punched it. It bounced on the ground and skittered towards the bleachers. He collapsed backwards onto the grass. Dew from the grass made his sweat-soaked skin even more wet. Panting, he stared up at the night sky. The stars seemed to twinkle more than usual…Tears trickled down the sides of his head into his ears.

He covered his eyes with his hand. "So stupid… why was I so stupid?!" His free hand curled into a fist and pounded the grass. Cursing through his sobs, PBG rolled onto his side and tucked himself into a ball, his whole body shaking as he cried.


	2. Chapter 2

_{Update: Since I felt I was exceptionally cruel to Caddy and PBG in the prior portion of this fic, I wrote this follow up to sort of ease the wounds-literal and figurative-that I gave them. I hope you enjoy this little follow-up! And feel free to review this fic!}_

* * *

Caddy sat on one of the patient beds in the nurse's office, fingers curling and uncurling on his knees. Jirard sat on a stool nearby and Josh leaned against a wall, watching Caddy and glancing at each other with nervous frowns. Mr. Creeps McPasta prodded the back of Caddy's head with nimble fingertips.

"OW!... nope…oww… OI BLOODY HELL!" Caddy jerked forward, rubbing the lump on his head.

"I'm terribly sorry about that." Mr. McPasta gave Caddy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "It was only to check how bad the damage was."

"Could you not have—oh whatever." Caddy ran his hand through his hair. "Anything broken?"

"No, but the bruise will take weeks to heal. Tonight, however, you'll rest here in case of side effects from the blow." McPasta pushed a button on the bed which raised the head of the bed. "Mr. Khalil, will you grab me an ice pack from the freezer?"

"Sure thing!" Jirard jumped up from the stool and darted over to the freezer beside McPasta's desk. As Jirard grabbed a couple of reusable ice packs, McPasta and Josh helped Caddy lay back against the bed so the British boy could rest with his head raised.

"Here." Jirard held out the ice packs to McPasta.

"Thank you." McPasta placed one ice pack in a white cloth and tucked it under Caddy's head. "You said Mr. ButterGamer threw Caddy against a couch?"

"Yeah, I think his head hit the arm of it." Jirard glanced between McPasta and Caddy, the latter swearing in whispers.

"I had no idea PBG had that kind of strength in him," Josh replied, leaning against the wall. "Or that anger…" He stared past McPasta at an opposite wall, hands in his pockets.

McPasta nodded, raising the head of Caddy's bed by a few more centimeters. Josh and Jirard had already explained to him about the Golden Boot theft, how Mai and Hana were assumed guilty for weeks, how Caddy revealed he was the thief… and how violently PBG reacted to the news.

"Oi, it's bright in here," Caddy muttered, squinting his eyes.

"Josh, will you dim the lights please?" McPasta asked.

With a nod, Josh turned a knob on the wall, shifting the lights from a bright white to a dim yellow. Josh and Jirard shared a worried glance as McPasta placed a thin blanket over Caddy. "You boys are free to leave," McPasta said to the Normal Boots boys. "However, tomorrow during lunch I want both your club and Hidden Block to come to my office to get all the details of this whole affair… and dole out punishment as necessary."

"Yes. Mr. McPasta," Jirard and Josh intoned. They turned to leave.

"One more thing," McPasta added. "If you both could find Mr. ButterGamer and make sure he's not lashing out at anyone else… that would greatly ease my mind."

"Sure thing, Mr. McPasta," Jirard replied, giving a small wave to the mask-wearing nurse as he and Josh walked to the door.

"Oh, and tell the rest of Hidden Block to stop crowding around my door." McPasta spun in his chair to speak more with Caddy.

Josh and Jirard spun around, finally noticing the window in the office door. Faces crowded in that window; Wallid's glasses got jostled by Jimmy's wide-eyed face.

Josh pulled the door open. Jeff caught Jimmy before he could fall through the doorway. "Excuse me," Josh growled, shoving Jeff and Luke out of the way.

Once Jirard left the office and shut the door, he and Josh found Jimmy, Wallid, Luke, and Jeff dawdling in the hall, all four of them looking worried. "Is Caddy okay?" Wallid asked.

"He is," Jirard replied, "but Mr. McPasta said he needs rest. No visitors right now."

"No exceptions at all?" Luke asked. Jirard shook his head. "Oh well…" Luke scratched his neck.

Jimmy and Wallid sighed. "Alright," Jimmy said. "Hey, Wallid, let's pile of my Nokemon plushies on his bed while he's gone!"

As Jimmy and Wallid ran off down the hall—and a worried Luke followed them—Jeff lingered with Jirard and Josh. "How well did PBG take the news?" Jeff asked.

"Not well," Josh replied, frowning.

"He grabbed Caddy and threw him against a couch," Jirard added.

Jeff's eyes widened. "Where's PBG now?"

"Um…" Jirard and Josh stared at each other.

"He just ran off…" Josh trailed off.

"That's not good…" Jeff scratched his ear, searching for the right words to say. "Look, normally I leave PBG to his own devices when he's mad, but right now… I'm thinking he needs some support." He gestured to Jirard and Josh. "Will you guys come with me?"

Jirard smiled and nodded. "Of course."

"Where do you think he is?" Josh asked as the three strolled away from the nurse's office.

"At the soccer field, most likely," Jeff replied. He dashed towards the nearest exit, and Jirard and Josh followed him.

The three boys jogged out to the soccer field. Squatting by the bleachers, the three bearded teenagers found PBG curled up on the grass. Soccer balls were scattered around him.

Jirard and Jeff shared a jaw-slack look of dismay. Josh bit his knuckles. "This is worse than I thought he would be," Jeff whispered, watching his best friend sadly.

"Let's go help him," Jirard murmured.

"How about we sneak up on him?" Josh whispered. "Not to scare him or anything, but just to check on him before he sees us."

Jeff and Jirard nodded. In unison, they snuck out from behind the bleachers, crept across the grass, and approached PBG with careful footfalls.

Finally, Jeff leaned over PBG, watching his even breathing. "He fell asleep," Jeff whispered.

Jirard ran his hands over the damp grass. "It's too wet. He'll catch a cold." He flung water off his fingers.

"I found a key ring," Josh chimed in a low voice, holding up a set of keys. "Probably PBG's, just sitting on the ground."

"One of those is for the soccer equipment," Jeff replied. "Will you put the soccer balls away?"

"Sure." Josh pocketed the keys and swiped a mesh bag off the ground. As Josh began collecting the balls into the bag, Jirard and Jeff crouched by PBG.

"I don't think waking him up is a good idea," Jeff said.

"I'll grab his shoulders, you grab his legs," Jirard whispered.

Jeff nodded, gripping PBG's ankles. "One," Jeff counted, "two… three!"

Jirard and Jeff lifted PBG, whose arms dangled at his sides as his friends began to carry him back to Bluebell Hall. When they reached the pathway behind Bluebell, PBG's arms began to twitch. He mumbled something as his head flopped from side to side.

"I think he's waking up," Jirard said in a panic.

"Set him down gently," Jeff whispered back. He lowered PBG's feet to the ground as Jirard shifted his hands to PBG's arms.

PBG's head snapped up, his eyes wide. "Hey, lemme go!" His arms flailed. Jirard dropped him in surprise. "Geez, what was that for?" PBG yelled, glaring at Jirard from where he lay on the ground.

"Whoa, dude, calm down," Jirard spoke, hands palm out in a defensive gesture.

"Jirard and I were just trying to get you back up to your room," Jeff added, holding a hand out towards PBG.

PBG snorted. "Thanks but no thanks." He pushed himself to his feet. "I can take care of myself." He thrust his hand into his jacket pocket. "Hey, where'd my keys go?"

Jeff and Jirard looked at each other in wide-eyed realization. "We should've taken those back from Josh before leaving," Jirard said.

"WHAT?!" PBG yelled.

"Peebs, he was just putting away all the soccer balls you got out," Jeff replied.

PBG froze, then let his arms fall slack. "Oh. That's cool." He shrugged.

Josh ran up to where the three boys were loitering. "Hey PBG, here are your keys." He dropped them into PBG's outstretched hand.

"Thanks," PBG grumbled as he pocketed the keys.

Josh slid his perplexed gaze between the three guys. "So, uh, you guys okay?"

"Oh, yeah, go on ahead without us," Jirard said with a genuine smile. "See ya tomorrow."

"Okay, see ya." Josh waved and jogged around the corner, heading back to his dorm.

Jeff, Jirard, and PBG stood in silence, hands stuffed in their pockets. PBG kicked a pebble on the sidewalk, shoulders scrunched. Jeff sighed, watching his friend with a worried frown. "Hey, PBG, let's go inside now, okay?"

PBG shrugged. "Whatever." He strode towards the front door, his two friends trailing behind him.

Jirard said farewell to Jeff and PBG as soon as they stepped inside. After Jirard left for his own room, PBG and Jeff walked up the stairs together. PBG's anger wrapped around the two of them, muffling any thoughts that Jeff would have said aloud.

"Why didn't you say anything about Caddy stealing the boots?" PBG asked, his voice in a low growl.

Jeff sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I only found out this morning that he stole them."

"Really?" PBG glared at Jeff.

"Yes, really." Jeff raised his hands in surrender. "Look, I don't know Hana well, but she's a nice girl, and she's important to you." Both boys stopped at the top of the stairs. "If I'd known Caddy stole them back during the festival, I would have made him give them back so much sooner and apologize to the girls immediately."

PBG leaned back against the wall. "I know…" He exhaled, his shoulders collapsing. "It's just..." He stared at the carpet and hid his fists in his pockets. "I should have been there for her."

Jeff tried to read PBG's expression. Furrowed eyebrow, a scrunched frown, his arms clamped to his sides… it wasn't all anger there, but Jeff could tell his anger was just a front. "I know," he finally replied. "I'm sorry. For what happened to Hana."

PBG shook his head. "Not your fault. Caddy's to blame… Shane, too." He opened the door leading into the fourth floor hallway. "Thanks for dragging me back inside," he said over his shoulder to Jeff.

"Sure," Jeff said with a hesitant shrug. "Good night."

PBG turned his head so Jeff couldn't see his face. "I'll try."

As Jeff watched PBG walk away, his heart sank and his tongue felt heavy. How long would it take PBG to heal, to forgive himself? Jeff turned and took the stairs down, one leaden footstep at a time.

Knowing PBG, Jeff thought, it would take a miracle to pull him out of this anger-depression.


End file.
